Monday, January 07, 2008

Gay-Friendly Morrissey Negotiating To Play In Gay-Hanging Iran

On 2004's You Are Quarry, Morrissey laments in "America Is Not The World" that the U.S. "President is never black, female or gay" (though, four years later, two of those are looking to be strong possibilities for next year).

So it's odd, then, that Le Moz's manager is quoted by The Independent saying that they're negotiating with Iran's Ministry Of Culture and Islamic Guidance to get Morrissey a concert date in Tehran, where you're publicly hung if found guilty of partaking in gay sexual activity.

Then again, Morrissey is likely still reeling from the recent PR disaster after an interview with U.K. rock mag NME last month all but found him branded across the world as a racist for a second time. "If you walk through Knightsbridge on any bland day of the week you won't hear an English accent. You'll hear every accent under the sun apart from the British accent," he was quoted as saying in response to a question of whether immigration is enriching or diluting the British identiy.

It should be noted that Morrissey is taking legal action against the publication for allegedly twisting his words out of context, and that the writer of the piece requested his name be removed.

So who knows whether Morrissey wanting to play in Iran -- and also Beirut and Jerusalem, his manager is quoted as saying -- is a move to counter him being labeled an anti-immigration racist or just some long-harbored artistic desire? Incidentally, singer Chris De Burgh ("Lady In Red") was recently granted permission to play Iran, which will make him the first Western artist to perform in the country since the 1979 Revolution.

In the meantime, Morrissey's got a greatest hits collection coming out February 4, which gathers mostly tracks from his past two albums along with a couple of his bigger hits from days of yore and two new songs.

7 Comments:

That should be, "publicly hanged." I've no idea if Morrissey is hung, privately or publicly. Not sure why Morrissey seems to be flailing about so much lately, but I suppose that's why he's a singer and not a professor.

I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonightI've never seen you shine so brightI've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to danceThey're looking for a little romance, given half a chanceI have never seen that dress you're wearingOr the highlights in your head that catch your eyes I have been blindThe lady in red is dancing with me cheek to cheekThere's nobody here, it's just you and me, It's where I wanna beBut I hardly know this beauty by my sideI'll never for get, the way you look tonight

I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonightI've never seen you shine so bright you were amazingI've never seen so many people want to be there by your sideAnd when you turned to me and smiled, It took my breath awayI have never had such a feelingSuch a feeling of complete and utter love, as I do tonight

The way you look tonightI never will forget, the way you look tonightThe lady in redThe lady in redThe lady in redMy lady in red (I love you.)

Bib, oopsie! See, this is why I didn't major in English. I lived on a floor in a residence hall of all English majors one year, and luckily had trysts with just enough of them so that I kin spell them big werds.

Mike, I always used to sing the lyrics "lady in drag." Hilarious, no? Hello? Mike?